Spain Moves to Grant Legal Status to 500K Illegal Migrants

Spain has announced one of its most ambitious immigration reforms in decades, unveiling plans to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants in a sweeping policy shift that sharply contrasts with tightening immigration stances across much of Europe and the United States.

The decision, announced Tuesday by Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, seeks to bring hundreds of thousands of people out of the shadows of the informal economy, while addressing the country’s growing labor shortages and long-term demographic challenges.

“This is a historic day for our country,” Immigration Minister Elma Saiz said during a press conference in Madrid. “We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, coexistence, and compatibility with economic growth and social cohesion.”

Spain: A Practical Response to an Economic Reality

The move to legalize undocumented migrants is rooted not only in humanitarian concerns but also in economic necessity. Spain’s central bank and the United Nations have repeatedly warned that the country needs around 300,000 migrant workers each year to sustain its welfare system, support public services, and counterbalance an aging population.

By offering legal residency and work permits, Spain aims to reduce labor exploitation in underground sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, domestic care, and construction—industries that have long relied on undocumented labor.

According to the government, regularization will help ensure fair wages, social security contributions, and tax revenues, while giving migrants a pathway to stable and dignified lives.

Who Is Eligible Under the New Policy?

Under the new framework, foreigners who arrived in Spain before December 31, 2025, and who can prove they have lived in the country for at least five months, will be eligible for legal residency lasting up to one year.

Key conditions include:

• A clean criminal record

• Proof of continuous residence

• Eligibility for work permits valid across all sectors and regions

Applications will open in April 2026 and remain available until June 30, 2026, giving hundreds of thousands a narrow but significant window to regularize their status.

Spain’s presidency said the reform is designed to offer migrants a “dignified life” while ensuring their full participation in society.

Spain: Undocumented Migration in Spain: The Bigger Picture

While the policy covers half a million people, it addresses only part of a much larger issue. Estimates from Funcas, an economic research institute linked to Spain’s banking sector, suggest there were around 840,000 undocumented migrants living in Spain at the start of 2025.

The majority come from Latin America, reflecting Spain’s linguistic and cultural ties to the region:

• Colombia: approximately 290,000

• Peru: nearly 110,000

• Honduras: around 90,000

Notably, the number of undocumented migrants in Spain has increased eight-fold since 2017, underscoring the urgency behind the government’s decision.

Building on Previous Reforms

Tuesday’s announcement builds on a policy introduced in May last year, which simplified administrative procedures for legalization. That earlier reform was expected to enable up to 900,000 undocumented migrants to obtain legal status over three years.

Spain has a long history of large-scale regularization programs. Since the 1980s, the country has approved at least six major pathways to legal status, under governments led by both socialist and conservative parties.

Past initiatives legalized:

• Over 38,000 people in 1986

• More than 114,000 between 1991 and 1992

• Over 524,000 from 1996 to 2001

• Nearly 576,000 applications processed under Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

The current reform marks the first large-scale legalization effort in more than two decades.